Most times when people think of
impaired driving, only alcohol comes to mind. Some students believe
that drivers are just fine (or even more careful than normal and
surely much better than while drunk) to drive when they're high,
right? Wrong - try again! Here's the raw data that serves as proof
that there are serious effects of driving stoned and that it needs
to be taken as a very serious issue.

Marijuana limits learning, memory, perception,
judgment, coordination, reaction time, concentration and complex
motor skills, like those needed to drive a vehicle. These effects
can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. 1

In addition to alcohol, drugs cause a serious
highway safety problem. Drugs are estimated to be used by approximately
10-22% of drivers involved in crashes, often in combination with
alcohol. 1

In 2002, between 13 and 18 percent of young drivers
aged 17 to 21 reported driving under the influence of an illicit
drug during the past year. 2

A roadside study of reckless drivers (not under
the influence of alcohol) showed that one in three tested positive
for marijuana and an additional 18 percent tested positive for
marijuana and cocaine. 2

A study of patients in a shock-trauma unit who
had been in collisions revealed that 15 percent of those who had
been driving a car or motorcycle had been smoking marijuana and
another 17 percent had both THC (the psychoactive chemical causes
the "high" and impairment) and alcohol in their blood.
2

In an ongoing study of non-fatally injured drivers,
23.5% of those drivers under 21 tested positive for drugs other
than alcohol. 1

While alcohol is the predominant substance in
fatal crashes, marijuana is the second most frequently found substance
in crash-involved drivers, according to a NHTSA study. Alcohol
and marijuana are also frequently found together, which results
in a dramatic decrease in driving performance and spike in impairment
levels. 2

Marijuana, even in low to moderate doses, negatively
affects driving performance, such as the ability to avoid collisions
with evasive action. The effect of combining moderate doses of
alcohol and moderate doses of marijuana resulted in a dramatic
decrease in driving performance and increased the level of impairment
from a .04 BAC (alcohol alone) to impairment comparable to up
to 0.14 BAC (alcohol and marijuana combined). 2

References:

1. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Drug Impaired Driving. Retrieved on October 28,
2003, from the World Wide Web: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Note: We are updating our statistical information to provide you the most accurate data for your impaired driving prevention efforts. New data will be available on this site in August 2013. In the meanwhile, you can check information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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